Hardware and screen cloth machine



a) 1947. N. s. HARTER 2,421,261

HARDWARE AND SCREEN CLOTH MACHINE 4 Original Filed Oct. 15, 1958 13 Sheets-Sheet l mafia Nmw. 5 #119751? May 27, 1947. N. s. HARTER HAREWARE AND SCREEN CLOTH MACHINE l5 Sheets-Sheet 5 Original Filed Oct. 13, 1938 EN v May 2?, 1947. N. s. HARTER 'HARDWARE AND SCREEN CLOTH MACHINE Original Filed Oct. 13, 1958 '13 Sheets-Sheet 4 TE? W 1/ 14/322065 May 27, 1947. N. s. HARTER HARDWARE AND SCREEN CLOTH MACHINE ori inal Filed Oct. 13, 1958 15 Sheets-Sheet 5 QM. Em Mk EN wk 1%06265073 Non/q SIf/HRTER y 1947. N. s. HARTER HARDWARE AND SCREEN CLOTH MACHINE Original Filed Oct. 15, 1958 15 Sheets-Sheet 7 Wm NW NMWE [mania Nomv 5 HM? T51? 7, 1947. N. s. HARTER HARDWARE AND SCREEN CLOTH MACHINE Original Filed Oct. 13, 1938 l5 Sheets-Sheet 8 u may May 27, 1947. N. s. HARTER HARDWARE AND SCREEN CLOTH MACHIfiE Original Filed Oct. 13, 1938 13 Sheets-Sheet 9 Non 5/79/5751? May 27, 1947'. N. s. HARTER 2,421,261

HARDWARE AND SCREEN CLOTH MACHINE Original Filed 00f. 13, 1938 13 Sheets-Sheet l0 g M, of)

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Non/1 Hfi/PTER May 27, 1947. N. s. HARTER 2,421,261

' HARDWARE AND SCREEN CLOTH MACHINE Original Filed Oct. 13,- 1938 15 Sheets-Sheet 11 May 27, 1947. N. s. HARTER HARDWARE AND SCREEN CLOTH MACHI NE Original Filed Oct. 13, 1938 15 Sheets-Sheet l2 y 1947. N. s. HARTER 2,421,261

HARDWARE AND SCREEN CLOTH MACHINE Original Filed Oct. 13, 1938 15 Sheets-Sheet 13 m m I FIG. 2 1- m :0 w M w fi -l L m h wentar:

Patented May 27, 1947 TED Noah S- Barter, W'aukegan, Ill.,., as'sigmirio The. American Steel; and Wire: Company of New Jersey, a. corporation of New Jersey Original application Octoberf13, 1938, Serial No.

23418-53, now Patent No. -2,'-363;4I5 datell November 2 1, 1944. 'Divided andthisapplication. September 22;.194'4, Serial No. 5553.416

hardwareand screen cloth fabrics.

The refinements of construction and'd'etail of operation characterizing the herein claimed invention will be'c-learly understood from'thefol lowing description when; read in conjunction with the accompanying drawing, in'which:

Figure 1-" is a-top plan Viewofa'machine-or loom embodying one formof'my invention; showing the entire layout except the fabric take-up.

Figure 2 is a. side elevational view thereof.

Figure '3 is a sectional elevational view taken alongline IIIIII of Figurel.

Figure 3 is a, sectional elevational View of the fabric take-up-which is'positioned relative to the. machine at the-lower left-hand corner of Figure 3', the section of Figure 3 being taken along: a leftward extensionof line III-41H o-frFigurel.

Figure 4 is a side elevational View taken from the opposite side to that shown in FigureZ.

Figure 5 is a sectional plan view taken along an irregular line *VV of Figure 2.

Figure 6 is a cross-sectional elevational view taken along line-VI"-VI of. Figure-2, an'dlooking in the direction. of the arrows.

Figure '7 is a cross-sectional elevational view taken along an irregular line VIIVII of Figure 2.

Figure. 8-is an enlarged fragmentary, longitudinal, sectional View showingv several details of construction ofxthe beat-er frame and associated actuatingmechanism.

Figure 9 is a fragmentary, sectional, el'evational view taken along'line IXi--IX ofFi'gure 8.

Figure 10' is-a fragmentary, sectional, plan-view takenalong line X--X of Figure 9.

Figure 11 is afragmentary view showing in sectionalelevation, several details of the construction of the Warp wire tensioning mechanism.

Figure 12 is a. sectional. view taken along. line XII-XII -ofTFig1ue 11 and looking in the direction of thearrows.

Figure '13 is anenlarged sectional view taken .2' along line XiiL-iin or Figure 11., looking in the direction-oithe-arrows. I v 1 I Figure 1 4 isan. enlarged fragmentary top plan viewoi thefabrie take-up mechanisrn which is shown in sectional elevation in Figure 3? Figure 15 is a side elevational view of the device shownin Figure 14. v

Figure 16 iseafragmentary iront elevational view'oi the far end. of the-device as shown in Figure-l5.

Figure 1'7: is. a. =brokenmid-sectional view of the sprocket drum employed on theItake-up device. Figure 18 isan end. elevational View of. the sprocket take-up drum-shown in. Figure-17.. I

Figure 19 is-"a iron-televational view of a'reed dent, madeaecordin'g to-the invention, shown. inenlarged detail. v I

Eigm-e ZOisv-asi de elevationalview of the device shown in. Figure 19, as viewed from the right- 20 hand-side thereof.

gFi-gure zl is a. sectionalv view i taken. along line XlQ-XXIzof. Figure 19*.

Referring now more-particularly to the draw.- ings, in which like reierence charactersr'ier to likeparts throughout,a brief description. will first begi-ven of general assembly andTfiinctional relationships of. the several main parts'ofthe machine, leaving the: more detailed description iorlater.

As viewed in Figures 1, 2, and 3, the warp or line. wires L are introduced to the machine insubstantial parallelism from av supply depot (not shown positionedfto the right-hand side. ofT-these views. The. warp wires. arelpassed through givnfeed rollsll, conipensating'tmsioning rollsfi, on tof-the heddles 2'22, which, effect the warp shed to providefor. the. admission. of were or picket wiresP. I

Withparticular reference. to Figures l and. 'Z, the-weft wires E a're introduced into the warp wires L by pinchfrolls. 35, anci'arev guided. and positioned. in, the,ffal5ri'c a beater frame and reed assembly I V Thus is. fornied'the fabric '1, which. atv this sta'gaisiiinfinishd, requiring treatment uponv its edges to provide. the desired; selvages thereon. This latter operation is accomplished by "the meclianism'sflBJZ, inclusive... ap earing generally in Figures/1, 2,..and 3. these'iinits, each of the sewage edges "or the-fabric is 'formed'and welded simultaneously to complete the fabric, which then passes on through driven feed rolls I70, as best appears in Figure 3, to the take-up mechanism, illustrated in Figure 3 This latter view represents a continuation, at the left-hand end, of the View in Figure 3, and is shown in the enlarged detail views of Figures 14 to 18 inclusive.

WARP FEED AND CONTROL spective side frames 19. The journal plate 8 is provided with a horizontally disposed extension l2 to which is pivoted a bifurcated arm l3, which extends along and beyond the end of the extension [2 in straddled relation thereto. The bifurcated arm 13 and the extension l2 are secured together by a connecting rod 14, which extends from the end of the extension 12 and passes upwardly through a bearing plate i5, which bridges over'and connects the opposite side portions of the bifurcated arm l3. About the connecting rod I4 is disposed a compression spring 16 which is adapted to bear upon the bearing This presupposes that at no time during the opcrating cycle of the machine will these wires be relieved of tension until they are wound on the take-up reel as a part of the finished fabric. It will also be appreciated that the operation of the heddles, in eifecting the warp shed, tends to cause recurrent periods of slack in the warp wires as they are deflected from the plane of the fabric to the extreme position of the warp shed. Means are provided to compensate for this varying position of the warp wires whereby they are always maintained under a substantially constant amount of tension.

The means whereby this is accomplished are in the form of the compensating tensioning rolls 5 which, together with certain features of control that are associated therewith, have been shown and described in my Patent No. 2,056,851, dated October 6, 1936, but which will be briefly described hereinafter.

The warp wire feed rolls i are frictionally driven from two to three per cent faster than the fabric feed rolls I10, to the drive of which they are coordinated through a worm gear 2, a worm 3, and a shaft 4. There are several reasons why this overdrive of the feed rolls i is necessary, one of these being that the introduction of weft wires into interwoven relation with the warp wires tends to effect an increment of take-up in the length of the latter, by causing them to assume a serpentine disposition, as against their former straight disposition before becoming a part of the fabric. This means that the linear amount of warp wire advanced to the fabric forming devices must be somewhat in excess of any unit length of fabric issuing therefrom; hence the feed rolls I are slightly over-driven to allow for this.

The over-drive of these rolls is also required to provide sufficient lengths of warp wire for the actuation of the heddles 222; but, as has already been indicated, the compensating tensioning rolls 5 serve to keep any intermittent slack, which would result from the over-drive and actuation of the heddles, from setting up in the wires. The compensating rolls 5 also serve to coordinate the functions of the feed rolls l and H0, whereby neither the wires nor the fabric are at any time subjected to too great a tension.

The compensating function of the rolls 5 may best be understood by reference'to Figures 2, 11, 12, and 13, wherein it will be seen that they comprise a pair of idle rolls 6 and 1, which extend across the machine between the opposite side frames I0 thereof. At each of their ends they are journaled, respectively, in upstanding journal plates 8 and 9, which, in turn, are journaled in pivoted relation, as at H, to each of their replate i 5 with a degree of tension that may be varied by a, nut l1, threaded on the end of the connecting rod Hi.

This assembly, last described, is such that the compression spring it normally tends to keep the extension l2 and the bifurcated arm I3 in substantial parallelism, and so that any motion imparted to the one will tend to be transmitted to the other. The end of the bifurcated arm [3 is provided with a roller 18 which rests upon a cam 19 that is carried by a shaft M I, which is the same shaft that actuates the beater frame, whereby the movements of the arm 43 are coordinated with the movements of the latter, and the tensioning rolls 5 are made to tension the warp wires W, while allowing for the heddle motion and the interweaving of the weft wires P. The means whereby this allowance is effected will now be described.

Pivoted to the bifurcated arm [3 is a triplever 29 which projects downwardly therefrom, and has secured to its lower extremity a connecting rod 2|, as is shown in Figures 2 and 11, which rod 2| extends down to connect with a bellcrank 22 that carries a yoke 23 adapted to actuate a clutch 24 against the tension of a spring 25. The shaft 4 is powered through the clutch 2d.

The trip-lever 2G is provided with a trip extension 26 which rests upon a lug 2? on the extension I2. This arrangement is such that, depending upon whether the arm !3 and extension i2 separate against the compression of spring i 6 in response to motion of the cam [9 (as will be done when the warp wire tension is suficient) or remain in parallelism (as when wires are slack) for movement by the cam in unison, the clutch 24, through the trip-lever 29, the connecting rod 2!, bell-crank 22, and yoke 23, will remain closed to perfect the drive to the warp feed rolls i through shaft 4, or be opened to interrupt the same, respectively. In this manner, correct tension of the warp wires is always maintained, as is more fully described in my prior patent referred to above.

WEFT FEED As has already been indicated, the weft wire is drawn from an endless supply and pushed into association with the warp wires at the warp shed by means of pinch rolls. By this arrangement, as will appear more fully hereinafter, it is possible to maintain a supply of weft wire that is substantially continuous throughout any desired operating period of the machine in precisely the same manner as the warp wire supplies are maintained.

The principal instrumentalities for effecting the weft feed and association are two: (1) the pinch rolls and associated guide elements that appear in Figures 1, 4, 6, and 7; and (2) the beater frame and reed assembly which receives the weft wire from the pinch rolls, and, after E shearing, advances it to the proper position between the warp wires. The construction and operation of these two principal parts of the weft feed will now be described in the enumerated order.

In Figures 1, 4, 6, and 7, there appears a reel 28 for supporting a coil of weft wire, above which is disposed a bracket 29 (Figure '1), constituting an extension 39 of the pinch roll housing, which accommodates weft Wire guide rolls 3|, a snarl switch 32, straightening and tensioning' rolls 33, whereby the weft wire P is conducted down to the stationary entrance guides 3d of the first set of two pairs of pinch rolls 35. Since the weft wire is delivered from stationary guide 36 into a guide 31 (see Figures 8, 9, and that is an integral part of the reed 65 of the beater frame assembly, and since this latter must periodically be oscillated to dispose the weft wire fed thereto into the bite of the warp wires, it is necessary to provide for theintermittent feed of the weft wire so as to confine its feed to such times when the beater frame is in position to receive it.

The intermittent feed of the weft wire is effected by making the upper and lower sets of feed rolls 35 relatively movable. The lower set is mounted and stationarily journaled, as will best appear in Figure 7, whereas the upper set is journaled in bearings which may be raised and lowered by a yoke 38 that is actuated by a connecting rod 39 extending from a driven crank ii).

From the foregoing it will be seen that when the upper set of pinch rolls is at its lowermost position, it causes the wire to bear against the lower set of pinch rolls which is driven through sprockets and a chain d2, shown in Figure 6. This causes the wire to be advanced into the machine proper. By this arrangement it is unneccessary to interrupt the drive to the lower pair of pinch rolls, and, accordingly,-they are kept rotating at a constant speed whether the. wire is being advanced or not.

pulley 43, whereby the latter may be driven as the former rotates.

The portion of the swingable arm '50 disposed upon the standard is provided with a radial lug 52 against which a set screw 53 carried by the standard '5! is adapted to bear. By setting the screw, the reel maybe adjusted to the proper distance from the split cone pulley. It will be understood that by adjusting the reel in this manner, the

To insure against the wires being disfigured or broken by the sudden jerk that necessarily occurs when the moving pinch rolls are brought into frictional engagement therewith, much precaution is taken to reduce the inertia and frictional drag of the stationary wire. For this reason, the reel 28 for supporting the weft wire supply coil S is constructed and arranged whereby it can be driven at any speed within reasonable limits which the operating conditions seem to require as will now be explained.

As will be seen in Figures 6 and 7, there is depending in driven relation to the pinch roll drive mechanism, a stub shaft d3 accommodating a split cone pulley it, the complementary cones of which are urged toward each other by the expansive force of a compression spring 35, which force is variable by the adjustment of a nut 46. This split cone pulley constitutes the driving element of a belt drive M for frictionally rotating the reel 26, which has its base fashioned in the form of a belt pulley 48. The reel is journaled for rotation On a vertical stub shaft 49 which is supported by the free end of a swingable arm 50 carried by a standard 5!. This means that the axis of the reel is disposed in eccentric relation to the axis of the standard whereby, upon oscillating the swingable arm, the reel may be moved toward or away from the split cone pulley M to vary the distance therebetween. A belt i'i is disposed about the split cone pulley and the reel belt is tensioned or relieved of tension, which varies the effective diameter of the split cone pulley, whereby the reel is caused to move faster or slower, depending upon the nature of the adjustment. In this manner an ample amount of weft wire is kept paid off of the reel in synchronism with the operation of the pinch rolls, whereby the requirements of the latter are satisfied without there being an excessive amount of drag on the wire.

The snarl switch 32, mentioned above, which is shown in the upper left-hand corner of Figure '1, comprises a movable segmental wire guide frame 5%, provided with a plurality of guiding rollers which is complementary to the stationary segmental wire guide 29 to which it is secured by toggle arms 56. A spring 5'! tends to normally maintain the movable element 5 1 in horizontal alignment with its stationary complement 29. Should the wire on the reel become tangled, the continued actuation of the pinch rolls would tension the wire to cause the movable element 54 to be drawn downwardly against the force of the compression spring 5']. This movement of the element is caused to actuate an electric circuitcloser (not shown) through which various relays are energized to stop the operation of the machine before the weft wire can be broken.

BEATER FRAME As has already been mentioned, the introduction of the weft wire between the warp wires, and the moving of the former into proper position relative to the latter, are accomplished by the beater frame and reed assembly. ihe means for performing this function will be understood by referring to Figures 3, 7, 8, and 9; particularly with reference to the latter two figures, which show enlarged detail views of the parts under discussion.

The weft wire P is pushed by the pinch rolls 35 through the stationary wire guide 38 leading up to the beater frame. The reed of the beater frame assembly is provided with a weft wire receiving slot 37, which aligns with the stationary guide 36 when the beater frame is at the rearmost position of its oscillatory cycle of movement. Into this slot 3'! the weft wire P is pushed across the reed 65 for a distance greater than the entire width of the fabric. The beater frame has instrumentalities for positively holding the weft wire in the reed 65 thereof during the movement of the frame forwardly to position the weft properly with respect to the warp wires, and for remaining in this position until the he'ddles 222 have been reversed to cause the warp wires to engage and firmly hold the weft wire. The details of the beater frame and reed assembly will now be described.

It will be seen by reference to Figures 3, 9, and 16 that the beater frame comprises two rocker frames 58 and 59, each of which is pivoted on a trunnion bearing Ell and 6!, respectively, on the side frames at of the machine, opposite to the other. The rocker frames are connected to each other by a cross bar 62' which is provided with an offset portion 63 to give end bearing to the dents Ed constituting the reed 65.

The dents comprise integral bars of special configuration, which, with the exception of the end dents, are identical, whereby a description of one would suffice for all. With reference to Figures 19, 20 and 21, it will be seen that a dent is an elongated rectangular solid which has been provided with cut-away portions 66 and 61, intermediate its ends on two opposite sides. According to the invention, these cut-away portions are such as to impart to the otherwise rectangular section of the dent a hexagonal shape (see Figure 21) in which four of the six sides are of much greater dimension than the remaining two sides, and in which the pairs of opposed greater sides 68-68' and 69-69 are in substantial parallelism, respectively, leaving the two lesser sides "NJ-l likewise in parallel opposition.

The end portions H and 72 of each dent retain the rectangular cross section, and at the upper end of each dent, through the section H thereof, there extends, in transverse relation to the dent, an aperture I3 for purposes that will presently appear. Each dent is also provided with a square notch 14 which extends across the front side of the dent between the cut-away side portions thereof, into each of which the opposite ends of the notch respectively open.

Figure 9 shows how the dents are assembled to stand on end on the offset portion 83 of the cross member 62 to form a panel, and how the cut-away side portions 6B61 of adjacent dents register to form slots across the panel as is customary in the design of re'ds for looms. The uncustomary features about this reed panel are the transverse notches 14 in the front face of each dent which align to form a groove 37 that is coextensive with the length of the reed and the cut-away side portions 665'! imparting the hexagonal section to each dent, which, it Will be seen from Figure 10, cooperate to form somewhat large, tortuous wire slots through which slack wire may be fed with facility but which, by virtue of the offset wire bearing portions l5'!5, snugly engage the wire to prevent lateral displacement thereof when the latter is under tension.

The dents 64 comprising the reed panel 65 are secured. to the cross member 62 by a long clamp 16, which is removably bolted to the cross member to admit of the adjustment, removal, or replacement of one or more dents, and at their upper extremity are bound securely together by a tie rod H, which extends through the transverse apertures 13 adjacent the top of each dent and which align with each otherin the assembled panel to afford a passageway for the tie rod.

As may have been surmised, the panel groove 37 formed by the registering dent notches 74 comprises a guide for receiving and holding the weft wire as it advances from the pinch rolls 35 through the stationary guide 36. Since this is necessarily an open groove to permit the weft wiresto be discharged when finally brought into proper position, a retractable closure for this groove must be provided. To this end, a hollow box section 78 of a length commensurate with that of the reed panel 65 is arranged to bear upon the front face thereof so as to lie substantially parallel with the weft wire panel guide groove 31. It is retained in this position by a plurality of retaining irons l8 that are secured to the cross bar of the beater frame, and is further retained by a plurality of downwardly depending connecting rods 19, which, at their upper ends. are secured by fastenings to the box section, and at their lower ends are carried by a rocker shaft 8|. This rocker shaft is supported in front of, and substantially parallel to, the cross member 62 by means of a plurality of levers 82. The levers are, in turn, journaled on a shaft 83 carried in bearings 84 formed beneath and as a part of the cross member.

From this it will be seen that oscillation of the levers about the fixed shaft 83 will, through the rocker shaft BI and connecting rods I9, cause the box section 18 to slide up and down the front face of the reed panel 65. This is accomplished by a connecting rod 85 that links the rocker shaft 8! with cams 256, as will be described in detail hereinafter, which are coordinated with the other moving parts of the machine to effect the opening and closing of the weft wire panel guide groove by means about to be described.

Again referring to Figure 8, it will be seen that there is rigidly secured to the top of the box section, so as to be substantially coextensive therewith, an elongated angle member 86 which has one of its sides secured to the top of the box section, and the other of its sides in sliding engagement with the front of the reed panel. This latter side of the angle member is provided with a plurality of slots which correspond to and register with the slots in the reed panel in order to afford clearance for the warp wires passing through the latter when the angle memher is moved upwardly into the plane thereof. The relation of parts is such that when the box section is moved throu h means of the connecting rods 19 and 85, the angle member will, at the upper limit of such movement, extend to overlie the weft wire panel guide groove 31, and, at the lower limit of its movement, will be withdrawn sufficiently completely to uncover the groove.

Attention is called to the cam 22! shown in Figure 8, also appearing in Figure 2, by which the beater frame is oscillated to position the weft wires in the warp wires. These cams are provided in place of the cranks commonly employed to actuate the beater frames in looms of the prior art. Such cranks were objectionable in that they failed to provide for the positive retention of the weft wire until the warp wires could be shifted by the heddles the distance necessary to grip and hold the weft wire in posi- 7 tion. In short, there was no dwell in the operating cycle of the beater frame whereby the latter would hold the weft wires in their forwardmost position until the warp wires could be moved to lock the same.

The cams 22l of the present invention advance and hold the reed 65 of the beater frame firmly against each of the weft wires it delivers into the bite of the warp, holding it in this position until the warp wires are practically completely reversed in the shed to lock the weft picket in place. There is also provided another dwell in the cam 221 so that, when the beater frame is retracted to the opposite end of its oscillatory path, it will remain there a sufficient length of time to be charged with another length of weft wire from the pinch rolls and stationary guides. The contour of the cams, in providing for the dwell of the beater frame in its forwardmost position, is such as will allow for the gradual advancement of the latter in unison with the uninterrupted advancement of the fabric, until the warp shed has been reversed to securely grip the newly deposited weft wire into position, where it remains.

After the weft pickets are laid in place by the beater frame and the web moves on beyond the latter, the fabric is complete with the exception of its selvages. The manner and means whereby the selvage are finished are fully disclosed in my Patent No. 2,363,415 above referred to, and thus need not be herein described.

Weft wire is fed across the panel groove 3'! in the beater frame reed until it extends across and somewhat beyond the farthest warp wire. At this point, the weft wire feed is interrupted and the beater frame is advanced to install the weft picket carried thereby into the bite of the warp wires at the point of the latters convergence. This movement of the beater frame is effective to shear the weft wire picket from the relatively endless source of weft wire supply. The shearing is accomplished, as will be seen in Figures 9 and 1G, by means of a blade 8'! secured to the end of the reed panel 55 that is adjacent the stationary weft wire guide with which it closely cooperates. Movement of the beater frame moves the knife blade past the stationary guide and cleanly severe the weft picket carried by the beater frame from the supply end remaining in the stationary guide.

FABRIC WINDING AND BUNDLE DELIVERY After the selvages are operated on by the welders, as described in my said patent, the fabric is complete, ready for passage through the fabric feed rolls lid and downwardly beneath the operators platform for delivery to the winding mechanism about to be described.

With reference to Figures 14 through 18, it will be seen that the winding mechanism comprises a positively driven friction drum iii, a frictionally driven dentelated roll i'l2, whose axis of rotation is mounted behind, and slightly above, that of the friction drum, and a frictionally driven bundling roll ['63 by which bundles of the fabric are wound and discharged; the fabric passing by the rolls in the order given.

It Will be observed that the friction drum in is equipped with a rigid sprocket l'l, which is connected by means of a sprocket chain H5 to the fabric feed rolls ilfi, by which the speed of rotation of the former is coordinated with that of b The dentelated roll H2 is driven by the latter. a gear train lit connected to the positively driven friction drum through a friction clutch ill. The bundle roll H3 is frictionally driven by a belt H8 and pulleys Hit-5W, one of which (H9) is journaled in free-running relation on the shaft* it! of the positively driven friction drum. A driven sprocket I82 is arranged adjacent the pulley llii to which it imparts motion through a pawl and ratchetwheel drive constituting an overrunning, clutch 583. whereby the bundle roll malfbe rotated at a faster rate than the sprocket E82 provides for, but not at a lesser rate, when in operative position for winding. As will later appear, this arrangement provides for the manual over" drive of the bundle roll iii? to provide for the expeditious winding of the fabric that may have accumulated while the bundling roll was out of operation during the stripping of the bundle therefrom.

The relationship between the several rolls and their respective drives is such that the positively driven friction drum ill is slightly overdriven to maintain a tension on the fabric; the difference between its peripheral s eed and the linear speed of the fabric being compensated for by surface slippage. The dentelated roll H2 is, on the other hand, provided positively to grip the fabric by means-of'the dentil projections I composing its surface, which register with and lie within the interstices of the fabric. The portion of fabric thus engaged by the dentelated roll is of such a substantial longitudinal and lateral extent that the unit pulling stresses exerted by the roll are widely distributed and consequently minimized to such an extent that the mesh of the fabric is not distorted. The drive I76 between the friction drum and the dentelated roll is such as to maintain surface speeds thereof substantially equal. Since the surface of the dentelated roll precludes relative slippage between it and the fabric, the friction clutch ill is provided in the drive of the dentelated roll to allow for the differential between the speeds of fabric and friction drum, mentioned above. With reference to Figure 16, the spring we between the clutch lever Hi8 and the stationary housing l8l is of the proper size to permit the requisite slippage Without causing undue Wear between the driving and the driven elements, while at the same time bein sufficiently forceful to cause the dentelated roll to be driven to maintain the fabric under adequate tension, in order that it may be wound in a fiat and symmetrical condition.

The bundle roll I73 is driven through the belt ill-8 and pulleys ill8il, mentioned above, so that as the bundle of fabric being wound thereon increases in diameter, and, therefore, changes the speed relationships between the peripheries of the several rolls, slippage occurs between the belt and pulleys so as to compensate for the difference without at any time releasing the tension on the fabric.

It will be understood that the rotation of the bundle roll may be interrupted to permit the discharge of the completed bundle of fabric thereon without interrupting the advancement of the fabric by the friction drum and dentelated roll, so that the operation of the machine does not have to be suspended during the removal of the bundle, and its output is thereby maintained at an absolute maximum. During the removal of a bundle, the dentelated roll H2 serves to effect positive feed of the fabric E, which may be paid out onto the floor and accumulated until the bundle roll I13 is again in place and able to resume winding. The fabric thus accumulated is rapidly rolled by manually overdriving the bundle roll, as mentioned above, which is permitted by the over-running clutch I83.

The winding device of the present invention, which permits stripping fabric without interrupting the operation of the machine, is in contrast to the prior art winding devices, which, so far as is known, were the only means for causing the advancement of the fabric being formed through the machine, and were only effective in this regard so long as the web of fabric was secured to the bundle roll while the latter was rotating. Hence in the prior art devices when the bundle roll was disconnected to permit the removal of the bundle, the fabric ceased to advance and, the

' operation of the machine .had to be suspended during the interval required to discharge the bundle.

CONSTRUCTION, POWER TRANSMISSION AND through one of the side frames to accommodate on its outer end a pulley 20! which is connected to the prime mover 202 by means of a belt 203. In the drawings an electric motor has been illustrated, which, as viewed in Figure 4, is partly hung on the drive belt to tension it and to afford a relatively positive friction drive.

The power from the main drive shaft 200 is transmitted through a gear train 204 comprising a pinion 205 and spur gear 206 to a friction clutch 201, the driving element of which is rigidly affixed to the spur gear, and the driven element of which is splined to the secondary shaft 208. The spur gear 206 is free running on the secondary shaft 208 and the latter is driven through the gear train 204 by the main shaft 200 only when the clutch 201 is in engagement.

Rotation of the secondary shaft 208 rotates a pinion 209 which, in turn, drives a spur gear 210 that is mounted in free-running, concentric relation to the tertiary shaft 2| I. This free-running gear 210 has rigidly secured to it a sprocket 212 and a driving clutch element 2l3, the driven complement 2I4 of which is splined in non-rotative relation relative to the tertiary shaft.

It will be observed by reference to Figures 1 and 6 of the drawings that the sprocket 2I2 is the driving element in a chain drive for operating the weft feed. By disengaging the clutch 201 of the secondary shaft the operation of the machine, including the operation of the weft Wire feed, is suspended; while, by disengaging the clutch 2|3 of the tertiary shaft, the operation of i the machine is suspended without interrupting the operation of the weft wire feeding devices.

Intermediate the ends of the tertiary shaft 2" are accommodated driving sprockets 2l52l6 which transmit power through chains 2l12l8, respectively, to the lower driven cam shafts 2|9-220, respectively, through which the heddles are operated and by means of which other devices are actuated, as will be presently described. The tertiary shaft 2 also accommodates and drives the cams 221, one of which is shown in Figure 8, which operate the beater frame through its oscillatory cycle; also the warp wire tensioning cam l9, through which the compensating tensioning rolls 5 are operated in coordination with the beater frame and heddles by virtue of the sprocket and chain connection, mentioned above. With reference to Figure 6, the tertiary shaft 2 drives sprocket US, which, through chain 2| 8, drives the short shaft 220. This shaft extends through the housing It! and rotates a pinion 280 through a clutch 28!. Referring once again to Figures 5 and 6, it will be seen that the pinion 280 meshes with a gear 282, which drives, through bevel gears 283, the longitudinal shaft 284 from which, by a worm 285 and a worm gear 286, the fabric feed rolls I10 are driven. The shaft 284 is provided with a spur gear 281 (see Figures 2 and 5) which, through pinion 288, drives a short shaft 289 which, in turn, drives a shaft 4 through the clutch 24. The shafts 4289 control the warppwire feed rolls I through the clutch 24, which is intermittently actuated by the compensating tensioning rolls 5 and cam I9 to time the feed of the warp wires with the delivery of the fabric by the rolls I10.

(2)) The heddles Each heddle comprises a rectangular frame 222 carried within stationary vertical slide bearings 223 which are mounted to the side frame l0 of the machine adjacent each of the ends of the heddles in which flanges on the heddle frames are adapted to slide. The heddle frames are supported in the stationary vertical slide bearings by means of equalizing chains 224 which are at one of their ends secured to the top of one of the heddle frames, and at their opposite ends secured to the top of the other heddle frame, substantially as shown in Figures 2, 3, and 4. The equalizing chains are passed over sprockets 225 carried by a shaft 226 that is iournaled on a cross bar 22! extending between a pair of frame uprights 228 which carry the vertical slide bearings 223. The entire assembly is such as to dispose the sprockets 225 directly above the heddle frames so that the latter may be hung for free movement in the vertical slides by the equalizing chains 224, as will be hereinafter described. Each of the heddle frames is provided with a plurality of heddle wires 229, as may be better seen in Figures 6 and 7. Each of the heddle wires on each of the frames is arranged in identical manner, whereby the description of one may be accepted as typical. Each heddle wire is tensioned between the top and bottom bars of the rectangular heddle frame so as to be parallel with the end bars of the latter. Approximately midway between its ends, the heddle wire is provided with an eye 230 for the accommodation of a warp wire strand. As between the two heddle frames, the heddle Wires are arranged in staggered relationship in order that the warp wires passing therethrough will be controlled in alternation by their respective heddles. From this it becomes obvious that when the heddles are simultaneously shifted relative to each other, one upwardly and the other downwardly, by means presently to be described, alternate warp wires are deflected upwardly and downwardly from the horizontal plane of their normal feed.

This motion of the heddles is effected by the instrumentalities appearing in Figures 3 and 6. It will be seen that to the bottom of the heddle frames are secured connecting rods 23I-232 which are pivoted at their lower ends to rocker arms 233-430, respectively. Each rocker arm is pivoted to a support shaft 235 about the axis of which it is adapted to be oscillated in reciprocal relation to the other rocker arm by the cams 235-437, mentioned hereinbefore, which are keyed for rotation with the driven shaft 2| 9, mentioned hereinbefore, and receiving its power through sprockets and chain from the tertiary shaft 21 I.

It will be noted that the cams 23623l are of identical contour but are so mounted that the operating period of one is timed of rotation from the operating period of the other. Each of the cams aligns with its respective rocker arm 233-234, intermediate the ends of which are provided cam follower rollers 238239, respectively, so that anti-frictional contact is provided between the two.

It will be seen from the foregoing that rotation of the shaft 219 causes the cams 23623|, which are keyed thereto, to move the rocker arms 233-234 alternately up and down simultaneously in opposite directions, which motions are, through 1-3 the connecting rods 231-232, positively imparted to "the h'eddles 222 respectively. For'this reason, and since the latter are tied together by the equalizing chains 224, the downward deflection of one of the heddl'es necessarily causes the other heddle to be raised a corresponding amount. When both of the heddles lie in congruent relation, the eyes 23%; in the respective heddles fall side by side in horizontal alignment, causing the warp wires-passing therethrough to align in a horizontal plane, which, in the absence of the heddles, would constitute the normal'line of feed. (.0) The weft feed The weft wire feedcomprises a supply reel 28 from-which wire is adapted to be payed in the vertical direction, up to guides 3 |-5=5, down through tension rollers 33, around a guide roller 33 through some more straightening and tensiom'ng rollers 33 into the bite of successive pairs of feed rolls 3'5. The feed rolls, which are grooved to accommodate the wire, are supported in adjustable relation by movable journals carrying the uppermost rolls of each pair. These journals are adapted for movement toward and away from the lower rolls by a connecting rod .39, which, at its upper end, is secured to a yoke 33 carrying 'the'movable journals, and, at its lower end, to a crank so. This crank is oscillated through a rock shaft are, on which a lever 2M is secured for engagement by a cam'2 l3. The cam is arranged to provide an operating cycle during whichthe feed rolls 35 are intermittently brought together and held apart. By this means, it is possible to effect intermittent feed of the weft wire without requiring that the feed roll drive tie-interrupted, or the rotation of the rolls stopped. Wire guidesM-iifi closely conforming to the pass of the roll-s serve to introduce the wire into the bite of the feed rolls successively on between the pair thereof, and outwardly from-the other side into the machine proper.

The feed rolls 35 are driven by means of sprockets 51 attached to the ends of their shafts with which a drive chain 42 engages, and which, in' turn, is driven from the sprocket The latter sprocket receives its rotation through bevel gear-s Zed-$ .6, the former of which is secured to a short shaft 26'? that carries sprocket 2M,

and the latter of which is secured to the shaft 243, which is connected to the main source of power of the machine through the sprockets 2!22 l!, and sprocket chain 250.

It has already been mentioned in conjunction with the forced feed of the wire P through the feed rolls 35 that in order to remove all excess drag from the wire, the supply reel 28 is positively driven synchronously with the feed rolls to insur a free and adequate feed of the'wire without tension. As already explained, this is effected by the depending stub shaft is on which is mounted for positive rotation therewith, a split pulley e4- comprising two cone-shaped halves urged toward one another by means of a compression spring E5. The resistance of the spring may be varied by means of the nut 46 fixed to the threaded portion at the lowermost end of the shaft. The upper end of the shaft 43 is secured to a bevel gear 25| which receives rotative effort from a bevel gear 252 carried on the shaft 241 adjacent the sprocket 244 from which the latter is powered. The reel 28, being mounted on a swingabl arm 55] as already briefly explained, is adjustable toward or away from the split pulley M by means of the set screw 53, so as to vary the 14 effective diameter on which the split. pulley engages the belt 41'. By this means, the speed at which wire is payed from the reel may be regulated.

(d) The beater frame, reed, etc.

The heater frame is comprised of a pair of arms 58-59, each of which is pivoted in trunnion bearings 6ii, respectively, on opposite portions ofthe-side frames it. .Byxreference to Figure 9, it'will be seen that'the rocker arms are connected together across theirupper extremities by a cross bar 62 of special configuration. Carried on this crossbar is a plurality of specially formed dents f t which, when assembled togetheron the cross and securedthereto by means of the clamp it andtheimpaling tie rod 11, constitute a unitarypanel 185 formed with the requisite warp wire slots and weftwirezpanel'guide groove 3'! previously described herein.

The rocker arms Eliand 59 are each provided with rearwardly extending bracket I which is integrally. affixed to. the arm. Each bracket N75 is equippedrwith a cam follower roller H36, which is adapted'to-track in the cam groove of the cam:;2 21!, whereby, when these cams are actuatedbyrotation of the tertiary shaft 21 l, the beaterframe'is, through rigidly extending bracket ltd; pushed and pulled through its operating oscillatory cycle. As viewed-in Figure 8, the cam 22!. has moved the beater frame approximately to its most forward position, where the reed 65 causes the weft: picket contained in the groove into be tightly wedged into the points of convergence of the linewires. Here, the reed continues to bear forcefully on the picket being place-d, while: the heddle actuating cams 236- 231 (Figures 3 and 6) effect the'reversal of the warp shed, and the cams 255. (Figure 8) cause the grooved? to "be opened, thus enabling the picket to be discharged fromdzhe reed.

It. should be noted, however, that since the fabric is. formed and completed without interruptingthe steady forward advancement thereof, the beater frame must be afforded a creeping movementforward fromitsinitial advanced positicn to its ultimate advanced position immediately preceding the return thereof. Obviously this is accomplished bymaking the cam 22'! with the portion I81 thereof of a very gradual operating contour, rather -than as an absolute dwell.

The opposite-or recessional-phase of the operating cycleof. the cam 2.2! occurs at portions ids-thereof, which aretruly circular in contour, and concentric with the tertiary shaft 211, eff'ecting a dwell in the cycle of the beater frame for more than of rotation of this shaft. It is during this interval of repose that the weft feedrolls 3'5 are closed to charge the reed groove 3? with anew length of weft wire, from which another picket is formed; The beater frame is then again advanced tothe position generally shown iniFigure 8 'andthe cycle is repeated.

The central axis of the weft wirepanel guide groove 31 is so disposed that, when the beater frame'is oscillated to perform its essential functions in fabricating the wire, it generates a path corresponding to a segment of a cylinder, in which the axis of: the weft wireguide 36 lies at one end; and in which the line of convergence of the warp wires into the plane fabric lies at its other end. When the beater frame is in the rearmost position ofits oscillatory cycle of movement, the panel groove 31 registers in accurate alignment'with the weft wire guide 36, and, in 

